Sao Tomé and Principe - Forgotten Islands on the Equator

Sao Tomé und Principe - Die vergessenen Inseln am Äquator

For 500 years both islands were Portuguese colonies, gaining independence only in 1975. The country is now a democracy having come through 15 years of a failed experiment in Marxism. The population of 150,000 live largely in poverty however test drilling for oil in the Atlantic has roused hopes that the country may soon be rich. So far, however, only small quantities of oil have been found, although the oil is of extremely high quality. Tourists have hardly discovered the islands yet. Formerly successful exports such as coffee, cacao and copra bring in barely any money because international market prices have fallen dramatically and the Marxist government nationalised the plantations. The livelihood of local fishermen has also been threatened by foreigners, who have bought fishing licenses from the islands' government. This documentary explores the difficult lives of the people in the Gulf of Guinea, in the second smallest country in Africa.